Positives in a Pandemic
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the negatives of this pandemic. We are bombarded with them everyday. The lost lives, an elusive vaccine, jobless people, a tanked economy, etc., etc., etc. All pretty depressing.
This blog is not about negatives, but instead about positives and an epiphany I finally had after being grounded for three months.
In the first month, my feelings went from being frightened by this invisible enemy to relief that I was able to get back to the US to hunker down in my cozy house in Rhode Island. I told myself that it was nice to be in one place where I felt secure and I spent my days (like many people I know) trying to get food deliveries, FaceTiming friends, working online, organizing closets (!!) and trying new recipes.
The second month brought anger, frustration and depression, not necessarily in that order. I could focus on nothing else but boarding a plane and getting back to London and Florence (my two other cities) and carrying on as if everything was normal. At the end of that month, I came to the conclusion that I was being unrealistic as there was no way I was getting on a plane any time soon (hence, the depression).
In month three — after trying everything to calm myself down by way of websites that offered deep breathing, mindfulness, yoga stretches and pilates — I knew that I needed to put the negatives behind me and concentrate on the positives.
Looking back is something I rarely have done in my life as I have always been too busy enjoying the present or looking forward and planning for the future. So I decided to take a look at the past three years and focus on experiences that made me very happy. The most satisfying were moments enjoyed with people I love in places I love.
Introducing Ilaria to Botticelli at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and the Colosseum in Rome.
Waking up from a nap with Peter after lunch at Da Adolfo on the Amalfi Coast.
Exploring the streets of San Gimignano with Vanessa, Henry, and Ilaria.
Dinner at my favorite restaurant in Rome, Fortunato al Pantheon.
Cruising around the Amalfi Coast with Jan and Jay.
Walking into our favorite restaurant in Praiano, Il Pirata
Finding my SOF fragrance, Passeggiata, then making my first bar of soap in Florence.
And last but certainly not least, holding my new grandniece, Alessia, for the first time in January 2020.
Looking back made me realize how lucky I am and how much I am going to enjoy going back to these wonderful places with the people I love once we are able to board a plane again!
I hope you are finding positives too!